Astra awoke to the soft breeze coming in from the open balcony the skies of the Umbral Plains with their ever-present veiled sky, painted in ink. He felt that ever familiar loneliness gripping his mind, souring his mood.
He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up in silence, bare feet pressing against the cold onyx floor of his quarters. His regal room was ever so..regal and symmetrical, the Edges were smooth, lines geometric — shadows fell cleanly where they were cast.Too perfect and organized, a little too much if he had to say, after all he's used to living in small shacks, hostels when he has coin or sometimes even the rooftops hidden under shadows. This was a welcome change sure, but still a major change.
He hit his shower.
Hot water poured over his curls as steam filled the obsidian-tiled stall. He lathered his skin with Starflower Blast, his favorite soap — a strange, almost floral scent that reminded him of the first time he truly felt mana pulse through his veins. That night beneath fractured stars in the deep desert.
The mana network scrolled across the air, projected just in front of him, synced to his clearance.
After minutes of scrolling and reading in between the propaganda Astra had made his conclusions, it was not a pretty one.
Apu was an active war zone with the guild of war, and cult of chaos...clashing, the Apu houses were almost sidelined as they began amass their strength calling for mass mobilizations and pulling back their mercenary like legions back as they besiege themselves for now letting the guilds clash, The Kings of Apu were quite complicated as well as their whole political system so it will take a while to amass true power at the mortal level anyways, yet many skirmishes and battles, sieges, and from the news reports their war, was long coming, not only that, its to last a really long time as many "peace" legislators were straight up killed or not received.
Meanwhile Wai had open water skirmishes and their conflicts were escalating As Major houses began to merge forces, not only that but major pirate factions and the pirates guild began to clash, forcing out the royal navy and the navies as well as the air forces of the realm, which left many cities vulnerable and naturally other houses attacked those vulnerable cities it was a mess to say the least. yet no real damage has been done as only rank fours have been cleared to clash from what he saw and is reading.
Dunya had Another noble revolt suppressed — barely.
The Imperial seat holders, House Aurelion of the golden lineage are struggling as more and more lords league together in some league of lords that has set up its counsel in the divine metropolis of Askleadd the capital of the ashen lands and many divine mages are on "Standby" which Astra knew better as of right now no real divine mages will clash not yet anyways, he can read in between the lines.
Alfheims Production quotas increased tenfold and their economy is booming as they supply mercenaries and armaments to troops no internal issues, they are reporting stable, which Is alarming... House Hunt, House Natura, and The House of Wolves, all royal houses are in fact allying together, yet many reports were in fact showing that Hunt has simply over taken them all and made them proxies yet The house of wolves is a pack so who knows what propaganda is being spewed, he waste sure on how true that is considering the divine battle that can happen due to hunt even attempting to take over other royal factions, but it would make sense.
And finally Sahara was seeing mass mobilizations, and open revolts from not only a royal house but many great houses as well, Dune and Shadow allied as many minor houses flock to both sides, Dusk and Dawn combing, skirmishes are soon to happen. Some great houses are waiting apparently.
Astra exhaled deeply, remembering the raw terror of accidentally blinking into Apu's and Wais warfront. a few days back, Two Rank Four demigods tearing through the sky like angry gods. He'd almost died. Twice.
Saints and angels even bishops were essentially treated as weapons of mass destruction, and the war wasn't that desperate yet so no real cataclysmic damage has been done.
He hadn't forgotten Veylith's words. Or the angels' warning.
Five years. Maybe ten. Maybe less.
Ascend or disappear.
Was that dramatic? Maybe. But then again — this was the fate of his lineage. In the fractured realms. Either you rose high enough to rewrite your fate… or your corpse became someone else's stepping stone.
It was strangely exciting, he can also tell why House Hunt propers so well as they seemed to embody this nature.
Divine battles will occur and if Shadow loses so will he.
He had to move. Grow stronger. Gather followers — powerful ones.
Search and gain access to the hidden archives of House Night, uncover forgotten alliances, sealed orders, scattered ruins and divine relics of old.He needed to rebuild House Night's martial might. All while studying, training, ascending — and somehow remaining a frontline combatant. A target.
Astra sighed. He wasn't even sure if he had a bounty on his head, but if he didn't… he should. A fallen amir, reborn under night, angel-touched and devil-stained, who wields the lineage of the profane Noctis and the holy through Umbra as well as wielding concepts from both? Yeah. He'd pay to kill himself, too.
So he should probably add another enemy to his list, The Order of Ezio, or The Order for short, a order of assassins and mercenaries founded by a nebulous powerful devil and many angels, they have many courts throughout every city and are the direct rival to House Shadows child, The Guild of Shadows, A huge mercenary and assassin guild funded by Shadow, which House Shadow shamelessly claims that they have no correlation or connection to.
Astra ruffled his hair manically, all this annoying shower thoughts and plotting and scheming was stressing him out reminding him of his true loneliness, also making him quite hungry.
He sighed, as he stepped out of the shower, towel slung around his waist, schemes still swirled through his mind.
The scent of alcoholic strawberry lemonade hit him first — sharp and sweet — followed by the heavier aroma of meats and berries. His kind of breakfast. "I wonder who told them," Astra was entertaining the thought of that bastard vesper specially telling the cooks or maids to add the strawberry lemonade and berries, He smiled as he rounded his, room or honestly large quarters's corner.
Waiting in his dining alcove, standing stiffly beside the polished basalt table, was a young woman in black officer's fatigues, The sigil of the golden ouroboros present.
"Special Major Astra," she said, voice clipped but calm as she looked him up and down not as flustered as one would expect of a young lady in this situation. "Good morning."
She was short, with dark brown hair tied back cleanly, and sharp green eyes that made it hard to read her. She was striking — and beautiful, though Astra instinctively knew flirting would be a mistake.
Not Saharan, he noted. Dunya or Alfheim descent, probably and at least in her twenties.
She offered a deep bow, the kind reserved for high nobility. "Second Lieutenant Merry. As of today, I'm your adjutant."
Astra raised an eyebrow. and sarcastic remarked "You're early."
"I'm punctual."
He smirked, as he went behind the door and put on a black pair of shorts as he walked up sliding into the booth across from her, she remained standing with her back straight, it was a little...unnerving to say the least.
"I guess I have an assistant now" Astra still couldn't believe it. He picked up a berry and looked at her expectingly
"Sir, you're required to begin officer training school within the week, I have compiled a report that you must read, as well as training regiments and meetings with many nobles and heirs " she added. "Details are on your slate."
He groaned internally.
"Oh — and," she said as he took a bite of roast boar, "once you've finished eating, you're expected to see Vesper off. He's beginning his decent into the Umbral abyss."
Astra froze mid-chew.
Right. Vesper.
So much had happened, he'd nearly forgotten. But of course Vesper wouldn't stay idle for long.
Astra didn't miss the subtle weight in Merry's tone — something grim beneath the professionalism. He hadn't had much time to study the Umbral Abyss; in truth, there wasn't much to study. The records were scarce and highly restricted. Now, with his new clearance and rising station within House Shadow, more doors were beginning to open — but even then, some knowledge remained elusive. So he turned to Merry. A officer, born and raised in the Keep from what he could guess. That alone made her more of an expert than most.
"Say, Merry," he began, stretching slightly as he sat, still shirtless from the shower, "how long have you lived here? Also — sit. Feels too arrogant talking down to someone older than me."
"If you insist, my lord," she replied, her tone perfectly neutral. Then she hesitated. "Or is it… prince?"
Astra blinked. Fair point. merry had spoken in a military fashion but now that she's sitting down and actually conversing she needed to switch to a more formal fashion.
He was still adjusting to the titles — the way people looked at him now. He hadn't grown up with that kind of respect. Not really. But if he wanted power, legitimacy, and loyalty, he'd have to embrace it. Wield it. Even overuse it when necessary.
"Prince is fine," he said with a lazy smirk. "I'm just a fallen amir anyway." He rolled his eyes with mock self-pity.
Merry didn't laugh.
"Tough crowd," he murmured under his breath.
She finally sat, posture still straight. "I've lived here my entire life, my prince. My mother was a maid in the Keep. Because of her service, I earned a place in the Umbral School of Magic — rare for someone like me. I worked hard. Made rank. And now, I serve here."
"Figured you had to be a talent," Astra said, tone lighter. "Not many Rank Twos get to be officers."
"Not many Rank Twos survive their promotion either," she replied evenly.
He leaned forward slightly. "Then maybe you can tell me what I need to know about the Abyss… and why Lord Vesperion's being sent into it."
Merry paused, then nodded. "I can't speak to his mission, Prince — that's well above my station. , but he is required to ascend down there for certain benefits I believe, if he suceeds he will gain some special abilities or so rumors has it, But what I can tell you for sure is what I know of the Abyss."
Astra sat back,."special benefits?"
"Yes, apparently my prince Vesperion, commands a rare unique magic, which isn't really a secret but its never been fully unleashed, and Shadow keeps it that way as well as spreading rumors throughout the realms, in fact I'm even told to spread it at times, Im sure you know more about his mana then I do, but all I know or can gather is that if he ascends in the abyss, it will be very beneficial, yet its still incredibly dangerous."
Astra listened intently, he knew about vespers rare maddening mana, Shadow and Flame.
"It was formed long ago, from the clash between the Goddess of Shadow and the God of Death. A scar on the world. A paradox of power. The Abyss is a land of contradiction: alive, yet dead. Still, yet constantly shifting. The creatures that dwell within it are... wrong. Twisted. Even shadows behave strangely."
"Sounds like a vacation," Astra muttered.
Merry gave him a look, then continued. "The levels of the Abyss are not aligned with Rank the way you'd think. It's not a linear scale. Rank Four beasts might appear on the first floor, and no one knows why. It's unpredictable."
"What's the first level like?"
"The Shadow Forest," she answered. "A dead jungle. Overgrown, poisoned with residual mana, crawling with twisted flora and shadow-beasts. Rank Three horrors roam freely there."
Astra's brow arched. "That's the first level?"
She nodded. "Level Two lies beneath — a network of caves filled with pockets of true darkness. Mirror-creatures live there. Things that mimic and distort."
"And Level Three?"
"Unknown. Classified. Not because of clearance. Because mortals can't comprehend what lies beyond. Only specific lineages are permitted — or capable — of descending further."
"How many levels?"
"I do not know, its not said, one would expect seven or nine, but it can be infinite for all we know, a gods clash from the fracture war formed it after all"
Astra leaned back, exhaling. "So I was right to be worried."
"Very right," she said, a little quieter. "The Abyss does not forgive mistakes."
He chuckled despite shuddering himself. "Something tells me a certain someone's going to send me down there eventually."
Merry didn't respond — only offered a faint smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"So did you ascend down there merry?"
"Gods no, I have however been sent on training missions down there and it's...something one doesn't forget." she shuddered.
Astra revised his earlier impression. Merry wasn't cold. She was disciplined. Talkative, when asked. Maybe even a little idealistic beneath the surface — or perhaps he was projecting. Either way, she was competent. That much was clear.
"Thanks, Merry. That helped. Now I need to go see that bastard off."
She stood and gave a sharp bow. "At your command, my prince. I'm assigned to you all day. You may route orders, requests, or appointments through me. I also handle logistics for your personal troops and security eventually."
"Good to know, All in good time hopefully. You're dismissed for now," Astra said with a nod. "Pleasure to meet you." Merry stood up as she bowed again. "And you, my prince." Then she turned crisply and exited.
Astra tapped his imperial squire coin.
It shimmered to life in his hand — sleek, obsidian-toned with that faint silvery glow of rank authority. He should now have access to the internal network of House Shadow. He could already see Merry's file queued up, along with a blinking archive symbol linked to the House's restricted vaults.
Later, he thought, pocketing it with a yawn. He had to see a certain pompous heir off to an abyss.
He dressed quickly — his uniform as a Special Major of House Night was bold, rich in deep blacks and shimmering stars, trimmed in symbols of his lineage. A statement of his identity.
He stepped out into the tower's western wing, the long obsidian halls bathed in dim magiclight, walls flanked by soldiers and servants alike. All bowed as he passed — a quiet, disciplined reverence.
And for the first time
He felt like he belonged in his station.
Astra made his way toward the western wing of the Shadowkeep — Vesper's domain. His own quarters faced the sprawl of Duskfall, the humming city that never slept. But Vesper and the trueborns of House Shadow? Their rooms all faced the Umbral Abyss, as if by design.
He stepped into the arcane elevator, an elegant platform of polished obsidian inlaid with shimmering thread-lines of mana. As it rose, the scenery shifted — light dimming, decor growing more lavish. By the time it arrived at Vesper's level, Astra could practically taste the difference in air pressure.
A servant greeted him, bowing low.
She was young, maybe sixteen, with pale skin and forgettable features. A clear Rank One — her presence barely registered.
"Greetings, my lord. Prince Vesperion is inside. Dressing."
Astra sighed, then offered a tight smile. "Actually, it's prince. But it's fine." He hated saying that. Correcting people made him feel like a pompous brat — the exact type of young master he'd grown up despising in Duskfall. The kind who acted like the world owed them dominion. Sure, Astra was fighting for dominion… but still.
"My apologies, Prince," she said quickly, her voice small.
He just nodded and stepped past her.
Vesper's wing was ridiculous. Vaulted ceilings, matte black walls rimmed with thin gold borders, illuminated by chandeliers made of crystalized mana. Weapon racks displayed elegant, wickedly curved swords and experimental rifles side by side. Tapestries stitched with old Shadow sigils Ouroboros hung beside display cases of preserved bones, old tomes, and relics from long-forgotten battles.
"Damn," Astra muttered. "For someone raised with everything, he's… surprisingly unspoiled."
He pushed open the main door without knocking — and immediately slammed it shut with a sharp thud.
"You...you...Gods Vesper!," Astra yelled through the door. "You couldn't message me that you were busy?"
From inside, Vesper's familiar voice called out, smug as ever: "Oh, what, you wanna join?"
Astra cursed under his breath. It was a good thing he knew Vesper. Otherwise, he'd think he was actually serious. He hoped he wasn't serious.
A few minutes passed before a really pretty tall, golden-haired elf emerged, looking properly disheveled and clearly in a rush. She bowed politely, avoided eye contact, and made for the elevator at near warp-speed.
Astra almost felt bad as he laughed. "Gods what an asshole."
He stepped inside, manifesting up a sandal from shadows and hurling it across the room at moderate speeds. Vesper, now fully dressed, turned just in time to dodge it with a smirk.
Vesper wore sleek, dark-toned combat attire — light fabric, likely layered beneath heavier armor he is to summon down there in the abyss. He was spinning lazily in place as he tugged on his boots.
"Good morning, Princess," Vesper said, voice still hoarse.
"Good morning. Jeez, why so grumpy?" Astra leaned against the wall. "It's not like you're about to dive into a cursed abyss or anything."
Vesper rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Just wait till you get sent down there. It's... maddening."
Astra noticed it too — the shadows around him were less playful than usual, less animated. Like they knew what was coming.
"Come on," Vesper said, grabbing a thick coat and slinging it over his shoulders. "Walk me to the dive point."
"Dive?" Astra repeated.
Vesper raised a brow. "What, you thought I'd get to descend gently? Nah. I'm diving straight in. Three days. Either come back Rank Two… or don't come back at all."
"That's…" Astra hesitated. "Harsh."
Vesper shrugged. "It's nobility. We get everything — and then we're told to bleed for it."
They made their way to the kitchenette — sleek black marble counters, a faintly glowing wall of spice vials, and a mana-powered stove that probably cost more than some rich families' houses. Vesper pulled out a chilled bottle of Umbral 22— one of the strongest liquors from the Expanse. Astra raised a brow.
"You must really be stressed."
Vesper took a long swig as he passed the bottle towards Astra, he politely declined. "Soooo… wanna know my task?"
"Not really," Astra lied as his curse was killing him to know. " I lied yes I do really badly, my curse is killing me."
Vesper smiled as he laughed "I know you do"
"Anyways due to my unique mana — shadow and flame — I resonate with the Abyss somehow.Like deeply. As if I belong down there. So they're sending me to unleash my mana, confront myself, probably hallucinate until I break… all while being hunted by Rank Three horrors and gods know what else."
He laughed bitterly. "Oh, did I also mention that my mana is basically a beacon to everything that wants to kill me down there? I'm basically a little lamb with a torch wandering into a pitch-black forest surrounded by wolves."
"Sounds like a great time," Astra mused.
"Right? All for the chance at a Legendary, maybe Mythical core. Not all of us are blessed, you know." He gave Astra a look. "Some of us weren't born with perfect synergy and talent and a devil-tailored curse to spice things up."
Astra snorted. "Says the unique magic, angel blessed, Heir to House Shadow to the fallen amir of a long exterminated house"
"Shut up. Let me be dramatic in peace," Vesper replied, tipping the bottle again. Half gone now.
Astra smiled worriedly.
They headed for the elevator again. But this time, Vesper pressed a different sequence into the sigil plate — something unfamiliar. The lights above the elevator shimmered, flickering from white to black. A deep hum started as the platform began to descend… further than Astra had ever gone.
"Whoa," Astra said. "What is this?"
"Special access." Vesper was growing visibly more pale now. "Oh — forgot to mention. Velora's down there too. She's close to returning. Her mana doesn't fry the monitoring enchantments, so they've been able to track her."
"Did she hit Rank Two?"
"Maybe. Not sure. But if she didn't, she will. Soon."
Astra shook his head. "You guys move fast."
Vesper didn't answer right away. His gaze was fixed downward, into the shifting shadows below. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet.
"We have a year. Two, at most. If we don't reach Rank Three by then… we're failures."
The elevator's descent shifted abruptly. The sealed black walls gave way to open space — and suddenly, Astra stepped out into something colossal.
A cavern, no… a subterranean expanse so vast it might as well have been another sky. The air was thick, humid with mana, and dimly illuminated by artificial constellations of enchanted lanterns and rotating light constructs that spun like orbiting stars above.
It was a loading bay — no, a hidden abyssal harbor.
Hundreds of aerial ships floated midair, elegant whitewood vessels with black sails flying the golden Ouroboros and glowing white rune-inlays along their hulls. Their sleek curves resembled the warships Astra had once seen docked along the coasts of Wai — the pride of the oceanic nations — but this? This was buried under a massive Keep, hidden beneath the seat of House Shadow. Built not to explore the world, but to defend against the infinite dark that loomed below.
The Umbral Abyss.
It stretched below the dock like a wound in the world — infinite, shifting black a different kind of darkness as well. It wasn't just darkness. It was hunger. A place where light went to die.
There were mana guards stationed everywhere — clashing auras, sharp movements, transports unloading rare glowing minerals and bizarre substances that pulsed with shadow. Rank Three knights moved like disciplined wolves, and higher still, Rank Four bishops floated midair, watching with radiant eyes.
Astra gritted his teeth.
The abyss had an aura of its own — not like a person's, not even like a creature's. It was environmental, ambient, like walking into smoke, or being in a room with something rotting just out of view. It clawed at his mind.
"Yuck," he muttered.
"Heh. Try feeling it when ur down there," Vesper said beside him. The shadows at his feet were writhing now, responding violently to the pressure — his mana flaring in subtle defense. Astra followed suit, activating his own mana circuit.
The shift was instant. He tapped into his Star Core, deep within his soul. A pale glow rose from his skin — soft, celestial. Ethereal. His body turned slightly translucent as the madness began to ease, cleansed by the calm of stellar light.
"Oh? I was just about to tell you to do that," Vesper muttered. "Smart bastard."
"Yeah, yeah," Astra winced. The curse inside him began to itch, badly. A strange urge flared — a pull toward the abyss. A desire to leap, to dive. His head pounded.
"Fuck me," he hissed.
"What?" Vesper asked, frowning.
"The curse… it's making the abyss feel like a good idea. Like it's calling to me."
Vesper's face turned serious. "Yeah, don't. That place will flay you inside out if you're not trained. Flora, fauna — even the air down there can kill you. I know that place better than my own room. Trust me."
Vesper stopped for a second as he looked into space, probably his coins interface.
"Would you look at that, I just got a quest, called,[Call of the Abyss], Dive and Ascend"
"Heh what nice timing" Astra responded
If Vespers coin gave him a literal ascension quest down in the abyss, it would indeed be truly beneficial, as quests given by mana itself and ones coin were incredibly rare, it means one has garnered attention from mana itself. Which made it infinitely more dangerous
Astra began to worry silently.
They continued onward. Two guards stood at the gate leading to the final dock — both Rank Three, clad in Dark mana-wrought armor with golden accents and a ouroboros sigil as well as tall knight poleaxes with dark steeled shafts and a golden axe and spear tip. They bowed slightly as Vesper and Astra passed.
"We need to reach the central node," Vesper explained. "That's where I get blessed before the dive. Real ceremonial crap. Woohoo." He rolled his eyes.
"This alcohol better kick in soon, I cannot do this sober" he grumbled
"Gods," Astra muttered, still unable to take his eyes off the scale of it all.
The entire chamber was alive. Workers moved rare materials harvested from below — glowing ores, pulsating ichor, a tar-like shadow substance that made Astra's skin crawl. Massive runes glowed across the walls and floor, numbering each dock. Airships came and went, cloaked in enchantments. Constructs of pure shadow twisted overhead, guiding mana currents and enhancing the mages working below.
It was like stepping into another world.
"You really are a peasant," Vesper teased, catching Astra gawking.
"Yeah, well... this is insane."
They finally reached the final dock in the very center of the whole harbor — a long stretch of dark stone with gold that extended over the abyss like a diving board, Tall golden flames shimmered on the edges. Standing at its edge was a tall figure flanked by armored mages and glowing bishops and Saints who all floated behind, rank threes could not do that so they stood on the dock.
As well Saint Valerius Umbra.
Vesper's grandfather. The Heir of Night stood silent, surrounded by two other saints and dozens of eyes, all watching. The ceremony was beginning.
Astra bowed low.
So did Vesper.
"Vesperion, grandson of shadow and heir of night," Saint Valerius said, voice resonating with a calm strength. "Greetings."
"Grandfather," Vesper responded evenly.
Astra dipped his head again. "Saint," he said respectfully.
Then, silence.
Vesper stared at Valerius for a moment too long. Something passed between them — tension unspoken, history unrevealed. Astra felt it like a stone in his gut.
I never asked him about his parents, Astra realized suddenly. He always sensed it was a sore topic. Now, watching the stillness between heir and grandfather, he regretted not knowing more.
"Prepare for your ascension, young pawn," Valerius said.
Astra hesitated — then gave Vesper a firm tap on the back and slipped into the crowd.
"I am prepared," Vesper replied.
His aura surged. Shadows exploded from beneath his feet, turning red at the edges — as if scorched by flame. Madness rolled off him in waves. The crowd flinched a little which is insane as these are literal Demi gods, what kind of magic did vesper really harbor astra wondered as it was indeed powerful, it almost reminded him of Asters rot now that he felt it again.
There was no fire. But the illusion of it made the air burn.
"Very well," Valerius said as the whole dock dimmed and the shadows darkened, the very abyss pulsing now as Valerius spoke his voice infused with mana. "Then descend into the abyss — and rise, as our goddess Umbra once did… or be forgotten in the dark."
Vesper walked to the very edge of the dock. His cloak fluttered behind him. He turned once, a smirk playing at his lips, as his aura peaked — nearly brushing the limits of a Rank One. The power made Astra shudder.
He's been holding back a lot, Astra thought. He's no weaker than Lucien. Maybe even Aster in terms of mana alone.
Then Vesper gave a mocking bow — and fell backward.
Silence.
Astra's heart pounded.
Then—
"WOOOO HOOOOOOOO!"
Vesper's shout echoed up from the abyss as the saints chuckled softly.
All had high hopes from this young pawn.
Astra blinked — then grinned. "jackass," he chuckled.
But he was already praying.
for his friends return.